Selig sells out to Spider-Man

[cincinnati chili]

Originally Posted by jon20some

I'm not so sure this is an all out bad plan. Eventually all sports will have something of the sort implemented.

I agree. So far, scanning the responses, TRF is the only one saying he/she will boycott these games. There may not be a lot of upside other than 8-14 year old boys, but I don't see much downside either. Selig's job is to help increase the profitability of the game for the owners, while growing the game's image. I just don't see this hurting baseball's image on a permanent basis. As long as they keep ads off the uniforms (like the Japan games), this is not such a big deal to me.

[919191]

Here it is. I wonder how much someone could get for one of these on eBay if someone could swipe one.

[GAC]

If they also make the bases sticky, then maybe our pitchers will be able to hold runners better!

But I think it is a stupid idea. IMO, it just shows how idiots like Selig and Co. have no idea how to market the game... so they must come up with gimmicks.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by 919191

Here it is. I wonder how much someone could get for one of these on eBay if someone could swipe one.

None of our players know how to steal a base! :mhcky21:

[Unassisted]

A member of Congress, George Nethercutt of Washington has writtten an open letter to Selig criticizing this move.

May 5, 2004

Allan H. (Bud) Selig
Commissioner of Major League Baseball
New York, New York 10167

Dear Commissioner Selig:

I am stunned by today’s reports that Major League Baseball is injecting advertisements onto baseball diamonds in ballparks across the country. For decades, fans have tolerated advertisements that encroach closer and closer to the baseball diamond, but to put ads on the actual bases goes one step too far.

Little leaguers deserve to see their heroes slide into bases – not ads. As a former minor-league baseball team owner myself, I believe such aggressive advertising undermines the character of America’s pastime at every level. Major League Baseball has a duty to keep baseball pure for future generations of Americans. By intruding on the baseball diamond itself, baseball’s profiteers are sacrificing too much.

The U.S. government recognizes the special contribution of baseball to our nation by granting MLB special anti-trust exemptions. This over-the-top commercialization of baseball undermines its value to our nation and potentially questions the need for MLB's special monopoly status.

At a time when so many Americans are risking their lives to protect our values and traditions, I would hope Major League Baseball would do everything possible to protect our national pastime. Before haphazardly placing advertisements on the baseball diamond, I hope you engage in a dialogue with fans. Please let me know if I can do anything to help you facilitate such a discussion.

Sincerely,

George R. Nethercutt, Jr.

[Roy Tucker]

This is interesting.... I suppose they can afford it, but kudos to them...

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1796247

ESPN.com news services

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees say they will not get caught in Spider-Man's web.

After Major League Baseball announced that ads for the movie "Spider-Man 2" will be placed atop bases during games from June 11-13, the Yankees quickly balked at the idea.

One of 15 teams at home that weekend, the Yankees insist they will put ads on the bases only during batting practice, and then just for one game, team spokesman Rick Cerrone said.

"We try to work with Major League Baseball," Lonn Trost, the Yankees chief operating officer, told the New York Daily News. "But if we think it's something that's not good for the Yankees and Yankee Stadium, we're not going to do it."

Trost told the paper that the Yankees, who host the Padres that weekend, would not allow the logo on the rubber of the pitching mound. The Spider-Man image on the on-deck circle, however, would stay throughout the game.

Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina is appreciative of his team's stance.

"Where do we go from here? Chico's Bail Bonds on us?" Mussina told the Daily News. "Somebody's making money. They're using every place they can to advertise."

Ironically, the Yankees are expected to be among the teams that benefit most from the promotion, at least from a financial stance.

Baseball will receive about $3.6 million in a deal negotiated by Major League Baseball Properties with Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Inc., a high-ranking baseball executive said on condition of anonymity.

The Yankees and Boston Red Sox will get more than $100,000 each, the team executive said, also on condition of anonymity. Most of the other 13 teams playing at home that weekend will get about $50,000 apiece, the team executive said.

Parkes said the amount a team receives depends on the level of its participation. Geoffrey Ammer, president of marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, was not immediately available for comment, spokesman Steve Elzer said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

[smith288]

Originally Posted by 919191

Here it is. I wonder how much someone could get for one of these on eBay if someone could swipe one.

I wonder what purpose an ad of this size woudld serve? None of the fans can see it unless they have binoculars...only the position players and any possible baserunners will see the thing...

Its just an incredibly stupid idea. Plain and simple.

[UKFlounder]

Originally Posted by smith288

I wonder what purpose an ad of this size woudld serve? None of the fans can see it unless they have binoculars...only the position players and any possible baserunners will see the thing...

Its just an incredibly stupid idea. Plain and simple.

True, but maybe the hope is they'll be shown on TV a lot - at the start of the games as a novelty "Hey, look at this" and then during action in the game.

And in terms of the value on e-bay, it probably won't be much, once Bud gets the idea to see "Replica Spider-Man bases, just like the big leaguers used" for $50.00 at every ballpark & through "special promotional offers." Maybe teams will have a "Spider-Man base giveaway Night" or something like that, LOL. (Though maybe this provides some creative independent or minor league team owner an opportunity to make fun of this somehow.)

[smith288]

I dunno UK, minor leagues go pretty low with the gimmicks but this might even be too low for them. Says alot about Selig.

[TeamDunn]

Originally Posted by smith288

I wonder what purpose an ad of this size woudld serve? None of the fans can see it unless they have binoculars...only the position players and any possible baserunners will see the thing...

Look at the *publicity* it has generated on this forum alone. Now, think of all the baseball forums, all the comic book forums...there's thousands (actually hundreds of thousands) of people right there that now have baseball and Spiderman on their minds if they were only fans of one before this.

Now, ESPN and all the other news outlets...all the towns with MLB teams will have lots of local coverage on the bases.

They have done what they set out to do...create a buzz. The Spiderman folks are spending what? 3-4 million on this ad campaign? TV ads for the last Friends episode are going for $2 million.

All of us talking about this have already given Spiderman and MLB their moneys worth.

This thread has prompted two thoughts from me. One being that the Yankees are basically saying "if it doesn't benefit us financially, we won't do it". How is putting ads on the bases during batting practice and "only one game" any different from putting the ads on the bases all season long? Sure, one might produce more ad exposure than the other, but the negative impact this is going to have in the long run is still there. If Steinbrenner truely felt that this was going aginst the scaredness of baseball, he would have declined altogether. Therefore, I think he has sold out to this just like Selig has.

The other thought I have is that I haven't seen any real protesting or boycotting displayed by fans in this thread. There are some "I'd like to flip off that sign of Selig" comments and a bunch of cowardly jokes made of the idea of putting ads on the bases, but no one is really standing up and saying "if this happens, I am done following the game at the Major League Baseball level".

The only way this isn't going to happen is for fans to stand up and boycott it. If you truely believe this kind of stuff shouldn't be happening in baseball, then don't go to or watch the games on television. Don't buy any MLB merchandise. Otherwise, you're just part of the problem, and can stick a lapel on your shirt saying "I sold out with Selig and I still have my baseball".

[smith288]

The only way this isn't going to happen is for fans to stand up and boycott it. If you truely believe this kind of stuff shouldn't be happening in baseball, then don't go to or watch the games on television.

I can watch on TV, I just wont purchase any goods that are marketed during the games. Thats is a form of protest. Also, I havent bought MLB licensed stuff for well over two years and I dont plan on it.

[smith288]

Maybe we can compile a list of advertisers during these games and write a letter to each of them saying we, the baseball fan, will actively boycott their product. That might cause the big spending advertisers to pressure Selig to end his dumb idea.

[2001MUgrad]

Originally Posted by smith288

the baseball fan, will actively boycott their product. That might cause the big spending advertisers to pressure Selig to end his dumb idea.

Wouldn't it be better to boycott a bad product than a bad idea?? Not that I think this is an all out bad idea. We'll see this a more common place in years to come. If the idea is bad so be it, but I think people would be better off to boycott a bad product. IE a bad baseball team that has been run into the ground or the movie Spider Man 2.

[smith288]

Actually, that can be very effective jon. If you threaten a company with a boycott, even if their product is good, they may just push the MLB to say "We are losing business because of a paulty $40,000 (or something like that) for each team...are you KIDDING ME? Either you drop this idea or we have no choice but to stop buying your expensive ad space for fear of losing business."

It only works when a good movement is put into motion. Right now, its just a bunch of people whining (including me).